Do Justice - Human Traffickinghttp://dojustice.crcna.org/topic/human-trafficking
Learn more on the Office of Social Justice website.
enFreedom for Victims and Buyers in the Sex Tradehttp://dojustice.crcna.org/article/freedom-victims-and-buyers-sex-trade
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="textformatter-list"><a href="/author/jennifer-lucking" class="node node-72 node-bio node-reference">Jennifer Lucking</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>February 22 marked Ontario’s Human Trafficking Awareness Day. That same day, the news broke about Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, being charged with solicitation of prostitution in Florida.</p>
<blockquote><h5>Kraft was charged in addition to 24 other men about whom we know very little.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>Kraft was charged in addition to 24 other men about whom we know very little. I’m not quite sure what is more striking – that we are captivated by news of a prominent man purchasing sexual services, or that we are seemingly not as concerned that average people purchase sexual services every day.</p>
<p>I was reflecting on this with a colleague who mentioned that he had heard the news on talk radio and was struck by how “gleeful” individuals sounded at Kraft’s arrest. As an abolitionist, I advocate for policies that criminalize the actions of those who purchase sexual services while decriminalizing those who provide sexual services. However, I have concern for those who purchase sexual services. I would like to know more about them, their stories, what prompts them to purchase another human being for their own sexual gratification.</p>
<blockquote><h5>Statistics suggest that I do not have to look far to meet a “john.” </h5>
</blockquote>
<p>And statistics suggest that I do not have to look far to meet a “john,” one who buys sexual services. “Johns” are teachers, school trustees, gang members, firefighters, fathers, sports coaches, church members, police officers, university students, trade workers, judges, husbands.</p>
<ul><li>In Canada, the vast majority of people who pay for sexual services are men who are purchasing sexual services from women or girls.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="" id="_ftnref1">[1]</a></li>
<li>In the United States, about 15-20% of men will buy sex in their lifetime with varying rates of frequency (e.g. some have only purchased sexual services once while others participate more regularly like weekly or monthly). 6% of all men purchase sex at least once a year.<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="" id="_ftnref2">[2]</a></li>
<li>Buyers pursue paid sexual services from a variety of venues including illicit massage parlors or brothels, arranging “dates” online, visiting strip clubs or adult entertainment establishments, and frequenting “tracks” (outdoor areas in a community well known for prostitution, e.g. street corners).<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title="" id="_ftnref3">[3]</a></li>
<li>Some buyers suspect they are purchasing sexual services from a trafficked victim (40% of respondents in a study conducted in Chicago<a href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title="" id="_ftnref4">[4]</a>).</li>
<li>Buyers from all educational backgrounds and achievements are equally likely to pay for sex<a href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title="" id="_ftnref5">[5]</a></li>
<li>Those who purchase sex at a higher frequency tend to have higher incomes.</li>
<li>The rate of men who infrequently purchase sexual services are evenly distributed across age ranges. However, “high-frequency buyers” (those who purchase sexual services weekly or monthly) tend to be between 18-44 years of age.<a href="#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title="" id="_ftnref6">[6]</a></li>
<li>Those who purchase sexual services are far more likely to say that prostitution is a “victimless crime,” that prostituted individuals “enjoy the act of prostitution,” and that prostituted persons “choose it as a profession” than those who do not purchase sexual services.<a href="#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" title="" id="_ftnref7">[7]</a></li>
</ul><p>Perhaps most strikingly, approximately 41% of all buyers polled by Demand Abolition said that they would like to stop buying sex. When former buyers were asked the reasons behind why they stopped purchasing sex, 72% said that they realized that paying for sex was inconsistent with their morals.</p>
<blockquote><h5>Approximately 41% of all buyers said that they would like to stop buying sex.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>As one who holds an abolitionist perspective, I believe in advocating for policies that decriminalize those selling sexual services (since criminal records often create additional barriers in finding safe pathways out of exploitation) and criminalize those who purchase sexual services. In criminalizing the purchasing of sex, policy helps <a href="http://dojustice.crcna.org/article/new-prostitution-bill-what-you-should-know">change the perception of the sex trade and identifies it as largely exploitative</a>. I advocate for policies that promote dignity and flourishing for those who are marginalized and oppressed.</p>
<p>But criminalizing buyers and holding them accountable does not mean demonizing or villainizing them.</p>
<blockquote><h5>I advocate for policies that promote dignity and flourishing for those who are marginalized and oppressed.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>Knowing what we do about the sex trade and those who purchase sexual services, how can we respond?</p>
<p>In Canada, many law enforcement agencies are committed to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-police-service-to-name-buyers-of-sex-1.5028913">publicizing the names</a> of those charged with purchasing sexual services. This is in line with practices of releasing names of those accused of other crimes like theft.</p>
<blockquote><h5>I am not convinced that merely releasing names will completely deter individuals from purchasing sex.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>However, I am not convinced that merely releasing names and public shaming will completely deter individuals from purchasing sex. Instead, I would like to see more restoratives approaches to addressing <em>why </em>purchasing sexual services is detrimental – not just to johns, but to those exploited in the sex trade and the larger community.</p>
<p>Without minimizing the negative effects buyers have on the lives of prostituted and trafficked individuals, I believe Jesus loves johns and desires for their lives to be restored as well. I am surprised by the number of times I speak in churches and am approached by individuals who speak with such incredible contempt for johns, pimps and traffickers. Anger and a desire for justice, I understand. But I don’t believe Jesus calls for us to have contempt for johns.</p>
<blockquote><h5>I would like to see more cities implement John Schools.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>I would like to see more cities implement John Schools, a diversion program sometimes offered as an alternative to criminal prosecution in which participants learn more about the realities of the sex trade. This diversion program exposes buyers to the voices and perspectives of survivors, public health professionals, spouses of other buyers, law enforcement, former buyers, and community members and helps them recognize the impact of their choices. (I encourage you to read <a href="http://dojustice.crcna.org/article/how-i-learned-about-prostitution">Bert Adema’s thoughtful <em>Do Justice</em> article on John Schools</a>.)</p>
<p>Some critiques of John Schools suggest that this one-day program is insufficient in addressing <em>why</em> men choose to purchase sexual services. What are the reasons driving their decisions? Pressure from peers, family, friends or colleagues to demonstrate manliness or masculinity? Views on the value and dignity of women and girls? Sadness? Loneliness?</p>
<p>This is where I see faith communities filling the gap.</p>
<blockquote><h5>This is where I see faith communities filling the gap.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>Our faith communities are uniquely positioned to promote open, honest, and grace-filled conversations about the realities of not just the sex trade, but also other issues like pornography and gender equality. We can talk about masculinity, vulnerability, and accountability. We can create spaces that promote learning and understanding. Safe Church promotes a resource called “<a href="https://www.crcna.org/SafeChurch/circle-grace">Circle of Grace</a>” which is an abuse prevention resource that encourages a healthy view of sexuality and promotes respectful relationships that honour God.</p>
<p>Let us embrace a comprehensive approach to preventing sexual exploitation and restoring those who have been caught in its grips – survivors and perpetrators alike. </p>
<div>
<hr /><div id="ftn1">
<p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title="" id="_ftn1">[1]</a> Statistics Canada, <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14670-eng.htm">https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14670-eng.htm</a></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<p><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title="" id="_ftn2">[2]</a> Demand Abolition, <a href="https://www.demandabolition.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Who-Buys-Sex.pdf">https://www.demandabolition.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Who-Buys-Sex.pdf</a></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<p><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title="" id="_ftn3">[3]</a> Demand Abolition</p>
</div>
<div id="ftn4">
<p><a href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title="" id="_ftn4">[4]</a> Chicago Alliance Against Exploitation, <a href="http://media.virbcdn.com/files/40/FileItem-149406-DeconstructingtheDemandForProstitution.pdf">http://media.virbcdn.com/files/40/FileItem-149406-DeconstructingtheDemandForProstitution.pdf</a></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn5">
<p><a href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title="" id="_ftn5">[5]</a> Demand Abolition</p>
</div>
<div id="ftn6">
<p><a href="#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title="" id="_ftn6">[6]</a> Demand Abolition</p>
</div>
<div id="ftn7">
<p><a href="#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title="" id="_ftn7">[7]</a> Demand Abolition</p>
</div>
</div>
<p><em>[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/13IxuHLS-Zc?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Brooklyn Bob</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>]</em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/human-trafficking" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Trafficking</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/gender" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Gender</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/canada" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Canada</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/categories/news-field" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News from the Field</a></div></div></div>Mon, 11 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000drowaan1001 at http://dojustice.crcna.orgTrain Up a Childhttp://dojustice.crcna.org/article/train-child
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="textformatter-list"><a href="/author/jj-tenclay" class="node node-417 node-bio node-reference">JJ TenClay</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Psalm 22:6 (NIV)</em></p>
<p>When we announced to our family, friends, colleagues, and the congregation we were serving at the time that we were moving to Italy to serve with the Reformed Church in America, the questions began. Good questions. Thoughtful questions. Caring questions.</p>
<blockquote><h5>Do they understand why you’re moving?</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>What do your daughters think about moving? Have they flown on an airplane before? How do they feel about moving so far away from family and friends? Do they already speak Italian, and if no, how will they learn? Do they understand why you’re moving? What will happen if they don’t like living in Italy?</p>
<p>Our daughters were born into a ministry family. They were 4 years old and 5 months old when they experienced their first move from Michigan to western New York for the sake of the call. They understood that we, as a family, attended church together every Sunday morning (and at our first church, every Sunday evening and Wednesday evening as well). They were taught, from the beginning, what their father’s vocation as a minister meant, as well as their mother’s vocation as a social worker. They were encouraged to actively participate in ministry with us, building relationships in the communities we were called to serve.</p>
<blockquote><h5>Our daughters were born into a ministry family.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>When we were ready to talk to the girls about moving overseas, we explained to them that daddy had attended a conference in Italy the year before and heard about the number of people, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, who were fleeing their homes and crossing the Mediterranean Sea before arriving in Italy. We explained how sad and scared and lonely these people must feel, and that we believe the Bible tells us to care for them. We found some children’s books that helped explain some of the experiences of people forced to flee their homes.</p>
<p>Petra embraced the idea wholeheartedly; it was much easier for her since she had not started school in the U.S.. Sophia struggled a little more. At eight years old she had already started school and had developed friendships. She had more to lose. Yet she had the wisdom to better understand the why, and despite her very understandable questions and uncertainties, she embraced the move.</p>
<p>During our time in Italy, our children were just as much a part of the ministry as my husband and I. In the churches we served, they developed amazing relationships not only with Italians, but also with our brothers and sisters who were migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from various countries in Africa.</p>
<blockquote><h5>We found some children’s books that helped explain some of the experiences of people forced to flee their homes.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>They learned to sing songs in Twi, to clap and dance their way up to the collection plate every Sunday in an act of joyful giving, to eat fufu with their fingers and suck frozen mango juice out of plastic bags with the corner cut off during agape (potluck) meals at church.</p>
<p>They met many of the women I worked with who were survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation. They did not understand the pain and suffering these women had experienced in their lives (at least not until we returned to North America for our first home assignment and shared some of their stories with supporting churches). But they knew these women were in need of care.</p>
<blockquote><h5>They learned to sing songs in Twi, to clap and dance their way up to the collection plate every Sunday.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>It was simultaneously encouraging and heartbreaking when, on more than one occasion, the women approached me to express their surprise and sheer delight that my blue-eyed, blonde-haired American daughters could show such love and respect for them as dark-eyed and dark-haired African women. Encouraging that my daughters genuinely embraced these women as God’s image-bearers, and heartbreaking because they have not experienced this acknowledgement by more people with different eye or hair colors than their own.</p>
<p>When three Syrian families arrived in our community as part of my work with the Humanitarian Corridors project, a private sponsorship program that provided safe passage for Syrian refugees living in a refugee camp in Lebanon to resettle in Italy, Sophia and Petra became the most hospitable neighbors and friends imaginable.</p>
<blockquote><h5>They helped us bake and decorate cakes to celebrate birthdays with them.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>They immediately befriended the adults and children alike. They helped us bake and decorate cakes to celebrate birthdays with them. Sophia would run to the apartment right below ours to care for baby Maria when her tired mom (who had four other children to care for) needed an extra pair of hands, and Petra became the fierce advocate for the children who attended her school, making sure their needs were met.</p>
<p>In all these ministry opportunities, our children were able to care for those deeply hurt by our broken world in ways that my husband and I, as adults, could not. My daughters’ understanding of biblical principles of hospitality, of caring for the stranger, of biblical justice, and of seeing the image of God in others grew immensely during our time in Italy, and they are values we see them living out now that we have returned to the United States.</p>
<blockquote><h5>The good news is that children can learn to engage these same biblical principles without moving overseas.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>The good news is that children can learn to engage these same biblical principles without moving overseas! There are opportunities in every church and every community for children to begin learning and practicing these principles. I, personally, am looking forward to reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Social-Justice-All-Empowering-Difference/dp/082544506X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1550511012&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=lisa+van+engen">this new book</a> by Lisa Van Engen and think it could be a good resource for others who want to start children on the path of engaging biblical justice issues in our broken and hurting world so loved by God.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/refugees" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Refugees</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/human-trafficking" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Trafficking</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/categories/news-pews" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News from the Pews</a></div></div></div>Fri, 22 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000drowaan992 at http://dojustice.crcna.orgJustice Prayers - February 13http://dojustice.crcna.org/article/justice-prayers-february-13
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="textformatter-list"><a href="/author/christian-reformed-centre-public-dialogue-and-office-social-justice" class="node node-981 node-bio node-reference">Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue and Office of Social Justice</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><h5>We bring our prayers to Creator God, who both "takes up our pain and bears our suffering" and will "let justice roll down like a river."</h5>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>If you haven't followed OSJ Prayers in the past, welcome!</strong> <em>Justice Prayers</em> (formerly OSJ Prayers) is a weekly post with 3-5 prayers addressing justice issues from around the world, sent straight to <em>Do Justice</em> subscribers' inboxes every Wednesday. (Find <a href="http://dojustice.crcna.org/justice-prayers">past issues of Prayers here</a>, or access them from our <a href="http://dojustice.crcna.org/"><em>Do Justice</em> homepage</a>.)</p>
<p>Forward them to your pastor for Sunday's congregational prayer, add them to your church bulletin, print them for use in small groups, or supplement your personal devotions.</p>
<p><strong>If you haven't followed <em>Do Justice</em> before, welcome!</strong> A number of you are new here, so let's take a minute to get to know each other. <em>Do Justice</em> is a blog run by the CRC Office of Social Justice and the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue. The blog is shaped by a variety of voices examining and reflecting on justice issues with a Reformed accent. <a href="http://dojustice.crcna.org/about">Check out our About page to learn more about <em>Do Justice</em></a>. </p>
<p>Newsletter subscribers will receive <em>Do Justice</em> emails three times a week: on Mondays and Fridays you'll receive a blog post fresh off the press, and on Wednesdays you'll receive <em>Justice Prayers.</em></p>
<hr /><p> </p>
<h5>Slaves Trafficked from Mexico to Canada Freed</h5>
<p>Ontario Provincial Police have freed 43 people who were trafficked to Canada from Mexico and allegedly forced to work as cleaners at hotels. The 43, mostly men from age 20 to 46, were coached on what to say when they entered Canada, forced to live in inhumane conditions in Barrie and Wasaga Beach, and were transported to hotel and vacation properties in central and eastern Ontario to work. All were freed last Tuesday. "Human trafficking is modern-day slavery," OPP Deputy Commissioner Rick Barnum told reporters in Barrie. "Exploitation is the key element of this offense."</p>
<p><em>God, we lift in prayer all who have been victimized and robbed of their freedom -- enslaved because of greed and dehumanized because of sin. We pray for a change in the lives of people who have committed these crimes. We ask for policies and resources that can work toward uncovering and ending such schemes. And we pray for restored dignity and hope for all people in this world who do not have the freedom they were created to enjoy.</em></p>
<hr /><h5>2018 the Fourth-Hottest Year on Record</h5>
<p>On average, 2018 was the fourth-hottest year for the entire planet since modern record-keeping began in 1880 (1.42 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th-century average) -- and the hottest five years on record are the past five years. The year 2016 was hottest, at 1.69 degrees warmer than average. Gavin Schmidt, a climate scientist at NASA, says the message is clear: "The planet is warming. The long-term trends are extremely robust. There's no question." And the cause is clear too, he adds: "It's because of the increases in the greenhouse gases that we put into the atmosphere over the last 100 years."</p>
<p><em>God, we pray for courage to change and for wisdom to know what changes to make. We ask also for clear, strong, consistent advocacy toward people in power who can make decisions that can help to turn back climate change. May a clear message come from Christians who are committed to being stewards of the world you have created.</em></p>
<hr /><h5>Thousands More Immigrant Children Separated</h5>
<p>A government report released Thursday said that the Trump administration probably separated thousands more migrant children from their parents at the U.S. border than had previously been stated, and federal efforts to track those children have been so poor that the precise number of separations is unknown. The policy quietly began in late 2017 and was made public in 2018 -- but did not end as the government claimed. Lawyers for eight separate immigrant families have filed claims against the U.S. government, demanding $6 million each in damages for what they describe as “inexplicable cruelty” and lasting trauma. The claims allege that the children remain traumatized, including a seven-year-old girl who will not sleep without her mother and a six-year-old boy who is reluctant to eat.</p>
<p><em>God, we lament this unfathomable pain. Whatever lack of oversight or lack of humanity has been involved, we pray for accountability among leaders and decision makers who have ordered and sustained this practice. We pray that you would make a way possible for restoration in these situations where parents have been told there is no possible reunion with their children. And we pray for swift, decisive accountability to emerge so that this destructive practice ends, and that people are held responsible for the brokenness they have caused.</em></p>
<hr /><h5>U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Abortion Restrictions</h5>
<p>The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5 to 4 last week to temporarily block Louisiana from enforcing a law that would have required physicians providing abortion services to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of wherever the procedure was performed. Supporters of the law say it's intended to safeguard the health of women. Opponents say it's yet another attempt to make abortions difficult, if not impossible, for women to obtain.</p>
<p><em>God, we pray for a way forward in the heated debates about abortion in the U.S. -- we long for a day when abortions never happen, when all new lives are welcomed as a gift, where all families have the resources they need to live in dignity and without fear. Give us wisdom to know how to advocate for policies that bring us closer to that goal. And, God, we wish there were never a time when a pregnancy endangered the life of a mother, when a baby developed in ways that could not sustain its life, when a pregnancy occurred because of violence. We pray for leaders in the Supreme Court and in other positions of power who make decisions that weigh so heavily on such situations -- the protection of unborn babies, the dignity and support for those vulnerable to abortions. Give them, and us, wisdom, O Lord.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<hr /><h4>Other recommended resources: </h4>
<p> </p>
<h5><a href="https://worldrenew.net/creationcare">Bangladesh Bible Study</a></h5>
<p>The Climate Witness Project and World Renew just launched The Bangladesh Bible Study Series. This is a three-week Bible study designed to help Christians engage faithfully with the issue of climate change in church groups, youth groups, community organizations, and more. It not only explores our biblical mandate to be stewards of creation but also convicts us of our Christian calling to be advocates for people who are poor and vulnerable. Download the Bible study as a PDF <a href="https://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/37678_climate_conversation_bangladesh.pdf">here</a>.</p>
<h5>Want to Meet with Your Members of Congress?</h5>
<p>During the Congressional Recess starting Feb. 16, the Office of Social Justice and its partners will be equipping constituents to organize legislative meetings across the United States. Contact Melissa for <a href="http://justice.crcna.org/immigration">immigration</a>/<a href="http://justice.crcna.org/refugees">refugee </a>issues at <a href="mailto:mstek@crcna.org">mstek@crcna.org</a>, and contact Andrew for <a href="http://justice.crcna.org/climate-witness-project-0">climate change and creation care</a> info at <a href="mailto:aoppong@crcna.org">aoppong@crcna.org</a>.</p>
<h5><a href="https://www.crcna.org/PublicDialogue/faith-action-workshop">Faith in Action: Practicing Biblical Advocacy</a></h5>
<p>Contacting elected officials may be daunting, but sharing your well-informed opinion can make a real difference on the justice issues that you care about, and can bring about long-term changes to unjust systems. This new workshop will help you learn how to navigate the political system to make your voice heard by local, provincial, and national leaders. This workshop was developed for Canada, but a U.S. version is available upon request.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/human-trafficking" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Trafficking</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Climate Change</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Immigration</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/abortion" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Abortion</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/categories/justice-and-worship" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Justice and Worship</a></div></div></div>Wed, 13 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000drowaan990 at http://dojustice.crcna.orgRahab the Survivorhttp://dojustice.crcna.org/article/rahab-survivor
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="textformatter-list"><a href="/author/jennifer-lucking" class="node node-72 node-bio node-reference">Jennifer Lucking</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>One of the most important tools that advocates have up their sleeves is storytelling. Stories have the ability to inform, inspire, and incite action.</p>
<blockquote><h5>I’m always wrestling with the ethical questions around storytelling.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>Whenever I speak or write about human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, I rely on stories that try to capture all three of these elements:</p>
<ul><li>Do the stories I share accurately inform people of the realities of human trafficking across the world and in their own communities? Or do the stories perpetuate sensationalized myths for the purpose of “shock factor”?</li>
<li>Do the stories I share inspire people and leave them hopeful? Or do the stories immobilize people, leave them in a state of despair, or paralyze them with hopelessness?</li>
<li>Do the stories I share incite an actionable next step, something tangible that someone across ages and abilities can do to make a difference?</li>
</ul><p>I’m always wrestling with the ethical questions around storytelling. Whose story am I sharing? How is someone’s confidentiality and privacy being protected when I share a story? Who is benefiting from this story being told?</p>
<blockquote><h5>Whose story am I sharing?</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>In <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethics-society/is-there-an-ethics-code-for_b_9772188.html">an article about the ethics of storytelling</a> and the storytelling phenomenon of “<a href="http://www.humansofnewyork.com/">Humans of New York</a>”, Emily Jenab asks, “Is there ever truly an ethical way of presenting someone’s suffering?” She raises some tough questions that I often ponder around storytelling.</p>
<p>This Advent season, I introduced the concept of the Jesse Tree to my five-year-old daughter. We’ve been reading stories about people in Jesus’s lineage and are about to learn about Rahab.</p>
<blockquote><h5>She does know that I am friends with a lot of women (some of whom she has met).</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>My daughter does not know a lot about the work I do with <a href="http://www.restorationscanada.org/">Restorations Second Stage Homes</a>, a charity in southern Ontario working to provide safe, stable, and supportive housing for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. She does know that I am friends with a lot of women (some of whom she has met) and that I “help” women who have been hurt. The stories I share with her are limited and sensitive to her five-year-old mind and heart. I am excited to share with her about Rahab.</p>
<p>I am quite familiar with the story of Rahab, but I saw her with fresh eyes this week. A lot of stories shared about commercial sexual exploitation tend to dwell on the victimhood of the exploited. And while I think it’s important to share stories that help people truly understand the serious harms, hurts, and traumas of commercial sexual exploitation, our storytelling can’t stop there.</p>
<blockquote><h5>I am quite familiar with the story of Rahab, but I saw her with fresh eyes this week.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>When I talk to people about commercial sexual exploitation, I get the sense that they tend to think of victims as meek, mild, damaged individuals in need of “rescuing” and “saving.” I love stories like Rahab’s, ones that are multifaceted, nuanced, and complex. Stories that reveal injustices and also magnify resilience and strength. These stories look more like the women I work with than the victim stories tend to.</p>
<p>Most of the Advent stories I’ve read about Rahab go something like this: “Rahab was a prostitute! Rahab was a liar! A harlot! But even someone as shameful and bad as Rahab is in Jesus’s lineage.”</p>
<p>And I understand this type of storytelling: we are meant to recognize that despite our own sinfulness, despite the wrongs we do, we are redeemable and we are loved by God. Other articles I read about the women listed in the lineage of Jesus included words like <em>sordid </em>and <em>notorious</em>.</p>
<blockquote><h5>These stories look more like the women I work with. </h5>
</blockquote>
<p>Considering it as an Advent resource for my family, I had been perusing Ann Voskamp’s <em>Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas</em> earlier this month. The “thoughts to discuss” section for the day of Rahab’s story was the following: “Have you ever seen God turn someone’s life completely around, so that person went from choosing a bad path to following Jesus? How is Jesus doing just that miraculous thing in your life?”</p>
<p>Beyond the problematic insinuation that Rahab’s lifestyle was a “choice” (because often <a href="https://www.crcna.org/PublicDialogue/issues/human-trafficking">prostitution is a path travelled because of <em>lack</em> of choices</a>), can we look beyond Rahab as the sinning prostitute or even as the prostituted victim? Can we tell the story of Rahab the Survivor?</p>
<p>Today I am choosing to see the resilience of Rahab the Survivor. She was proactive and went to the spies with a plan (see Joshua 2:8, 15-16). Rahab was confident and bold as she proclaimed what she knew (Joshua 2:9-11). She advocated not just for herself, but for her family (Joshua 2:12-13). She was faithful to what God was doing in her life. She is Rahab the strong. Rahab the leader.</p>
<blockquote><h5>She is Rahab the strong. Rahab the leader.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>Storytelling is essential to advocacy. Sally Vis, a missionary colleague whose work includes sharing stories about Israel and Palestine, explained the concept of advocacy to me as “walking alongside others whose voices are not typically heard and using your voice to amplify theirs.” This has informed the way I share stories. They are not <em>my </em>stories, but I can amplify them.</p>
<p>Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Years ago, I had a blog where I first started channeling my writing about justice. At the time I picked what I thought was the perfect name for the work I was trying to do, yet now I find my ideas and practices around advocacy and storytelling have changed.</p>
<blockquote><h5>It’s our job to be microphones.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>My blog was called “Speaking for Others.” And while I recognize that a large part of my work is sharing stories for those who may not physically be able to – children, those who have not yet found a way out of commercial sexual exploitation, those who do not wish to be in the spotlight or desire to maintain some sort of privacy – I don’t see my work as speaking <em>for </em>others any more. As I wrote once on Restorations’ website, it’s our job to be microphones, to <em>amplify </em>needs and voices.</p>
<p>I commit to amplifying more stories and voices of those like Rahab. Not Rahab the sinner or the victim, but Rahab the strong, brave, resilient, and mighty Survivor.</p>
<p>P.S. Here's another reflection on Rahab that's worth reading: <a href="https://juniaproject.com/women-advent-rahab/">The Women of Advent: Rahab</a>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.restorationscanada.org/">Restorations Second Stage Homes</a>, the ministry Jennifer works with, announced last month that they have identified their first home in Burlington, Ontario and will be moving forward with renovations in 2019. You can make a year-end gift to Restorations through <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/20334">CanadaHelps.org</a>, or you can support Jennifer’s missionary fundraising efforts through the <a href="https://rca.org/lucking">Reformed Church in America</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/QdGlponzosk?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">William Stitt</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>]</em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/human-trafficking" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Trafficking</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/topic/canada" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Canada</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/categories/new-opportunities" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">New Opportunities</a></div></div></div>Fri, 21 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000drowaan957 at http://dojustice.crcna.org